~Christian Movies~

    I am so not a fan of Hollywood's style of "Christian Movies" But I really must say I am really drawn to the new movie, "Exodus: Gods and Kings". I think for the main reason that its on Exodus. I have preached for years many of the stories that will be played out in this movie. I really do hope its made well and true to scripture. I very much disliked the last few "christian" movies that Hollywood has come out with. I think they want so much to add the hardcore violence and sex that they put a twist on it to sale more tickets. (Then we wonder why people look down on Christians, Wow we will save that rant for another time) I think if they would really dig deep into scripture they would find that that stuff like all that already is there. The Bible does not have a PG rating all the time. With some of the things found in scripture they might have to give the movie a rating of R. My word they could make a porno out of Song of Solomon. They can do a Murder Mystery with Moses and who knows what else they could make. I hope that This movie will make it where I feel the movie "Noah" failed in. Don't get me wrong I know that may people loved the movie Noah but I feel they really tried to rewrite the story all together.. I am just glad they even had the ark and didn't change it to some spaceship or tour bus or something. Oh wait Noah and a Spaceship....... now that would be some movie. Oh well Exodus comes tomorrow so I will be interested in what the review are by others. Until then here is the movie trailer.

 

~The Time is Now~

BIG CHANGES COMING: So after many months of prayer and fasting. Debbie and I have accepted a call from God to embark on a new Journey in life to take a large leap of faith. This Journey will by no means be easy for us to take. It will cause us to leave family and friends in the southeast. And those around us we have grown to love over the past year here in Atlanta. In January Debbie, the children and I will be moving to Colorado. To the details of what, how and when of this new Ministry can be found at www.HavenHouseofCo.org in the coming future (Spring 2015). Until then you can sign up for our up and coming family and supporters newsletter that will be going out by Spring 2015. We welcome everyone's prayers as we start this chapter in our lives. Over the next few weeks and month you will be able to get more details to what we will be doing in the immediate future by following Debbie and I through Facebook and our Blogs. There you will get more info about, jobs, home, school, ect... So stay tune. Again thank you for your love and support over the years. God is good!

"And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” 

Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.”

-Isaiah 6:8 

~Fitting In~

Fitting in is something I am learning is just pointless to do in life. Too much stress, and work has to go into being the right person for everything. Something we are told when we are teens and children don't try to fit in and be a follower. But then we become older and wake up to the fact we are doing just that as older adults, trying to fit in. we have to wear the right cloths, speak the right words. pray the right prayer. But when thinking on it why do we really do that?!?! I am not sure I even really know why. Is it that we feel we need the acceptance of others. Maybe we have trapped our selves into that center minded world. Maybe we grow up that way and don't know any other way. In Romans 12:2 it says.. "And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect." We don't need to try to be perfect in the eyes of man but we are already perfect in God's eyes! It's that a great word of truth and good feeling to know that we don't need to try to be people we are not. I think that is one of the reasons I loved Rich Mullins so much not just as a music artist but person. He was a person who was not trying to impress anyone. He lived for Christ and no one else. He dealt with his own struggles and not anyone else's. And that's something to note about how he lived. I think we get so enmeshed into other peoples problems in life. We feel we are able to fit what is broken then there lives. Or we try to pull people into our mess thinking they have a quick fit. But in reality It's only Christ who can mend the broken. I think even in the local culture we try to fit in. Take our American regions for example. We have the Southerners, the Yankees, the Westerners and the Foreigners. Why is it we must fit into one of these groups just by the way we act or sound. I think this creates a boundary, But that's another topic for another day. I think over all we need to define ourselves for who we really are and not that person or persons we try to become. I think our Worship can be in the same way. We try to worship God in a way that sees fitting for a group of people or that person your trying to please. Why can't we just be who we are. Worship the way we want. Speak, act, walk and do what is true to ourselves. Without having that label or worrying about having to "fit in".

Something to think about,

-JD    

~Choices We Make~

Don't you wish life was spelled out for us on a map from A to Z leading us down the right path each
turn. "Go left, right, right again and stay forward into the life God has for you." Sadly I am not sure life is every that simple and easy. Even in the pain of God shutting doors I find it helps in picking the right door when others close making the light on your path more clear. But what happens when God allows more then one door to stay open. Then the choice that can be hard to take. Not knowing if your walking into the right door or not. Not knowing whats on the other side. But at some point we know if we don't take that first step we will be standing in the same place going nowhere in life. Sometimes I am given the picture of my son who when sometimes told to go inside or to go somewhere he will just stop and stand there thinking. "Do I go do it or do I choose to stay." I think we start to find our safety in staying in one place as there is so much unknown by picking a way or door to go through. Sometimes I don't think God really cares if we make this choice or that one. I think He wants to see if we have the Faith to just stand up and move. I once was told that if God allows more then one door or path to come open He will bless you in whatever path you choose to take as long as it's for His Glory. I have to think that statement is true... So as I take this time to think, pray and wonder, The time counts down, life goes by and my heart stays incomplete until I stand and take a step. The sad part is I really know know where I am going, what will happen or even what way I am going to go. All I know is I have to stand and just walk.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart

    and lean not on your own understanding;

6 

in all your ways submit to him,

    and he will make your paths straight."-Proverbs 3:5-6      

In His Grip,
-JD

~Joy Comes In The Morning~

I love fall! Its that time of year again where we can bring out the colors, put on the coats, light the good smelling candles and buying a but load of pumpkins to place around the house and yard. Oh How I love this time of year! Even the smell outside is amazing. Even this morning while drinking my coffee and having my window open I came across some "Fall" music to listen to. Yes, I know really, there is music just for the season. Even as I am able to get a little blogging in I am listening to a CD called Hello, October. It's got a indie/folk genre feel to it. Anyway you look at it I think its all fitting for this great season. While thinking about fall I am reminded that how blessed we are. Even when we have times we face that are stressful and deal with those times we just want to call "The BLAH of our Life" (as I can't think of any other name for it). There seems to be a lot of Blah times we face in our lives but Thank the Lord the joy comes in the morning. I am always telling me self joy comes in the Morning.. "For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning."  -Psalm 30:5 I hold on to that truth each day.

In His Grip,

-JD 

~FALL on me~

It is fall praise GOD! I love the fall season. The weather becomes cool, the leaves change color and Pumpkins Spice becomes the smell day to day from the Coffee at Starbucks to the plug-ins placed in my office to the candle I burn in the bedroom. Even as I type this I am drinking my last cup of lemonade for the summer season. There is just something off about drinking a lemonade in the fall and winter months that seems wrong in all ways.
     For the past week I have been listening and really hanging on to the the words of  Chris Tomlin's song "Whom shall I fear" It says "I know who goes before me, I know who stands behind...." It goes on the say "My Strength is in Your Name For you alone can save, You will deliver me, Yours is the victory Whom shall I fear. Whom shall I fear!" I think my life right now this song is what I need to hear each day. Its everything I feel I am currently facing put in one song to let me know He is greater, He is bigger and He is all I need. I love knowing that He has gone before me to the place I fear the most. and He knows whats on the other side of the cliff. I guess the hard part is wanting to take that step into not knowing what will happen or not knowing what I will do, who I will meet, or how I will survive. Over time I think I will get more into why I have the subtitle of "where the rainbow leads" but I will hold off on just that. But before the rainbow comes the rain, and sometimes a storm. I feel like I have been in the storm way to long. But what happens in the storm seems to cause us to grow the most. It goes back to the breaking of the bread in 1 Corinthians 11 I have preached on in years past. We must be broken before we are blessed. We must withstand the storms of life before the rainbows come. Who said life was going to be full of peace and unrest.
    Speaking about the promises of the Rainbow God gave I am sometimes reminded as a child I would come to find a random Bird feather laying on the ground. My grandmother would also tell me pick it up and always remember when a father is found. It's a remember that Jesus Loves You! I think that stuck with me even today. Besides the horrid germs I am sure that are on those things. (Note: I don't think I was so much a germaphobe when I was young as I am today) Even today when I find a father laying on the ground I reach over to pick it up and remember that no matter where I am in life. Jesus Loves Me! I know it might sound odd and even corny but hey what can I say. Whom shall I fear!

In His Grip,

-JD

~Fresh Beginnings~

A Fresh start...You will notice that it’s been one year from my last post. You will also notice a lot of changes to this site as well as new domain name. This is due to a new focus of where I hope to take this blog. For the past many years this site has become one for church and ministry leaders and follow pastors. It’s been a place of training, discipleship, encouragement and place of healing for leaders facing the hardships of ministry and life. Well after many months of praying and seeking a new direction for this site and blog. It’s time to embark on this new journey and chapter in life. Over the past year we have had a lot of changes from leaving our friends, church family, places of ministry and employment and setting off across the state to a new place of ministry, met new friends, tried to settle into a new environment. It has had both its challenges and blessings, its ups and downs. But more importantly I think we as a family have grown in Christ. I hope at some point I am able to share some of those challenges and blessings during this new chapter in this blog.

                Why the new domain name? Well it’s not a new name at all. The original name for this blog was “Southern Coffee”. After a few years of blogging I wanted to come up with a name that was outside of the box but still kept to who I was as a person. So I changed the name to “Southern Kafes” as the Greek word for coffee is Kafes. The Name comes from this: “Southern” as I am from the South and a Southern at heart, “Coffee” as I love Coffee with a passion. And “Kafes” as I am Greek by tradition. I wanted to bring this back this title as its best fitting to what I want this site to become, a place of random ramblings. Please note I am not leaving ministry nor my call as a pastor but instead digging deeper into my call as a Shepard and Missionary to my country and community. I think this will become clearer over time. It’s hard to tell what the whole picture is when I myself only have a snapshot of it. Many things during this journey are uncertain however I do know my strength in Christ and pea size Faith will get me through to His coming Promises.

                The Old and New! You may be a new reader to this Blog and I welcome you. You may be a past reader and came here hoping for some encouragement or for a new ministry training post. I understand and do hope that maybe want is say at times will be able to encourage you and maybe something I say at some point will be able to bless you in your ministry however at this time this blog is about me and for me. It’s where I can focus on my journey and walk in Christ. It’s where I can come meet with The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit and we can have a party. It’s where I can allow my words to go unjudged by the world. If you do wish to follow this blog with all this understood please know it’s my hope I am able to keep updated however due to life happening I may not always update daily, But will try to post at least once a week or more. If you are looking for ministry posts and encouragement only feel free to get out my Twitter account instead.